News
Showcasing Optics at the Glasgow Science Festival
QOSiLICIOUS Post-doctoral Research Associate Charlie Smith was involved in outreach activity at the Glasgow Science Festival, an annual STEM exhibition taking place across multiple venues in Glasgow. Charlie showcased an optical setup to teach school children and members of the public about the properties of light, providing the basic understanding of polarisation and interference necessary to understand quantum technologies such as QKD. The outreach activity is designed to inspire younger generations and also to highlight the key societal challenges that can be addressed by quantum technologies.
Solar-Blind QKD at High Noon
Can faint quantum signals survive the solar irradiance during peak daylight?
Yes, they can! Researchers from AIT have demonstrated the survivability of quantum key exchange over a terrestrial free-space link during daylight – despite the use of large-core fibers. To do so, the QOSiLICIOUS team has transferred the quantum channel to a spectral E-band region, in which an atmospheric absorption window clears out most of the solar irradiance. Since this spectral slice is still within the extended multi-band wavelength range of modern telecom systems, the complexity of the QKD system increases just marginally while solarblind key exchange can be performed.
Check out our journal article for more technical details.
Photons by Photons: Integrated Quantum Photonics featured by Quantum Society Austria
In the framework of the Quantum Talk Series hosted by the Quantum Society Austria, QOSiLICIOUS project coordinator Mariana Ramos gave an inspiring talk about the daily life as scientist and the challenges that are faced towards the realization of integrated quantum photonics. As one of the projects that aim at a wider impact towards commodity applications, QOSiLICIOUS contributed towards attracting young professionals to pursue careers in science, to eventually shape the next generation of top researchers.
The full talk can be watched online
Quantum Perspectives at World Quantum Day 2025
On World Quantum Day 2025, Martin Stierle from AIT represented QOSiLICIOUS in a panel discussion on the latest developments in quantum research, organized by FFG Austrian Research Promotion Agency. Advances in component technologies that lead to disruptive miniaturization of QKD assets are a crucial ingredient to lay the roads for a successful and widespread deployment of quantum communication technology. The achievement of a functional precursor QKD transmitter that solely builds on silicon photonic integration has been highlighted towards this direction.
Quantum Career Day in Vienna
The Quantum Career Day for students, organized by the national technology platform Photonics Austria and the Vienna Center for Quantum Science and Technology in April 2025, featured an inspiring talk by AIT researcher and QOSiLICIOUS project coordinator Mariana Ramos, who aimed at motivating students to pursue careers in quantum technology. This talk was complemented by a table-top demonstration of one of AIT’s QKD systems, allowing the students to experience and (partially) touch quantum technology in a live setting. We received very positive feedback by the students, who showed great interest in engaging with the local quantum community.
Quantum Satellite Workshop
During the Quantum Satellite Workshop organized by the European Space Agency in March 2025, QOSiLICIOUS was represented by project coordinator Mariana Ramos. She presented the project’s potential to revolutionize quantum communications through introducing its all-silicon component technology, which shows great potential for a disruptive simplification down to the level of microelectronics.
QOSiLICIOUS kickoff at the AIT headquarters
On February 17-18, we officially kicked off QOSiLICIOUS at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology headquarters in Vienna.
QOSiLICIOUS is a groundbreaking project focused on developing an all-silicon, optically active QKD solution. By eliminating the need for rare semiconductor materials, the project aims to simplify QKD integration, making it more cost-effective and scalable. As quantum computing evolves, this technology will play a key role in securing digital infrastructure, paving the way for QKD adoption in ICT networks and everyday devices like smartphones.
Led by AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, in collaboration with Nvidia (Israel), IHP – Leibniz Institute for High Performance Microelectronics, and the University of Glasgow, QOSiLICIOUS is funded by the EIC Pathfinder program, receiving €3.4M under Horizon Europe.